1. This entices veteran players who would not have considered Toronto as a viable option since it places the Jays into immediate contention for the AL East crown. When you’re an older player who’s made your money, you care about winning over another major pay out. The Jays now have a legit chance for a big win right out of the gate, not “if the youngsters play up to their potential”.
2. The manager has yet to be chosen. This will be Alex Anthopulos’s next major decision and could either be a capstone accomplishment, or a complete disaster considering the change of locker room landscape. Lots of big names coming to a team means pressure on that team’s coaching staff. Expectations for those names to produce immediately will be high, and if the team flounders the players will keep getting paid while the coaches all get fired. Finding a competent skipper who can facilitate a positive, bonding clubhouse atmosphere while shouldering great expectations will be paramount. Alex’s list of interested managerial applicants may have expanded thanks to this trade, but so have the expectations he and his choice will be up against.
3. Triple-A is in Buffalo. What does this have to do with the block buster trade? A lot. Refer to my number 1 item, then reverse it and you have the recipe for why veteren place holders and journey men go to a triple A team—top dollar and opportunity. Buffalo lets a talented player avoid the brutal travel of the PCL as well as the brutal, ERA killing altitude and parks. Now that the Jays have leveraged a lot of money on top shelf talent, they’ll have to make smart buys in triple-A. Not only to reinforce it, but to because they’re belts will tighten. The more career friendly Buffalo means they’ll have more talented options willing to go there. And, if this trade experiment doesn’t work out, the Jays will do like the Marlins and dump salary, replacing it with cheaper fill-ins.